Dental Implant FAQs

Rancho Cucamonga | Upland | Glendora | Redlands

Answers to Common Questions About Dental Implants

• Why select dental implants over other options?
• What is a dental implant made out of?
• Why should I get an implant here instead of a general dental office?
• Do I have to be asleep to have this procedure done?
• How many visits will it take?
• How long does it take to place an implant?
• Will I be in pain and have swelling?
• What is the recovery time?
• Why does it take so long to get the crown on the implant?
• Why don’t you place the crown?
• Can’t you just place a shorter implant and not do a bone graft?
• What is teeth in one day?

Why select dental implants over other options?

The only other option to permanently replace a missing tooth is a 3-unit bridge. This option is a destructive one because the area with the missing tooth needs to be surrounded by healthy teeth that are cut to span the missing area. If either of the teeth used to support the bridge fails, then the entire bridge fails, and what started as a 1 tooth problem essentially becomes a 3 tooth problem. At this point, your options are to create a longer bridge, destroying more healthy teeth, or dental implants. Unfortunately, there will be gradual bone loss in the area of the missing tooth and it may not be adequate for implant placement and bone grafting may be required.

What is a dental implant made out of?

A dental Implant is made out of a titanium alloy.  Titanium is compatible with your body and can integrate with your bone. It has gained tremendous popularity in both medicine and dentistry as replacement for body parts. It has demonstrated high success rates in millions of patients who require hip, knee and teeth replacements.

Why should I get an implant here instead of a general dental office?

The doctors at IEOMFS are surgical specialists who have had formal training in dental implant placement. They place hundreds of dental implants a year and have the expertise to handle all types of cases, from straightforward to complex. They will work with your general dentist, who will be responsible for the tooth part of the implant. If you do not have a general dentist, then we will be able to refer you to someone we work with.

Do I have to be asleep to have this procedure done?

Placing a dental implant will involve numbing shots, some light pressure and drilling in your mouth. It is an unpleasant experience for most. Going to sleep, or being sedated, makes an unpleasant experience much more tolerable, especially if you have high levels of anxiety, dental phobia, or a severe gag reflex. The oral surgeons at our practice are specialists in anesthesia and perform thousands of sedations per year. Ultimately, sedation is optional and a choice you can make at your consultation.

How many visits will it take?

Number of visits will depend on how many surgeries are needed. If you need your failed tooth removed first, then typically a socket bone graft is placed and 4 months of healing is required before the dental implant is placed. Sometimes the dental implant can be placed immediately at the time of tooth extraction, cutting treatment time in half. We will be able to give you a better estimate of visits when we see your specific case.

How long does it take to place an implant?

It depends on the complexity of treatment and the number of implants being placed. A straightforward, single implant placement should take 15 to 30 minutes.

Will I be in pain and have swelling?

Your recovery will depend on the extent of the surgery and number of implants placed. For most routine cases, the postoperative pain and swelling is minimal. We give good medications to aid in minimizing your discomfort and speeding your recovery.

What is the recovery time?

Implant placement is not a very invasive procedure and most patients are back to a normal daily routine is less than 2-3 days. Some have minimal pain and are back to work the next day. However, everyone responds and recovers from surgery differently.

Why does it take so long to get the crown on the implant?

The implant surface typically takes 4 months to integrate or fuse with your jaw bone. If we place a tooth on the implant or load it too early, then it can lead to poor healing and implant failure. Sometimes we can place a temporary tooth on the implant right after it is placed if the tooth is in the front of your mouth.

Why don’t you place the crown?

We are surgical specialists and focus on the implant placement only. Your general dentist is an expert in the placement of the crown.

Can’t you just place a shorter implant and not do a bone graft?

Placing a shorter implant is certainly an option that can be used to avoid extensive bone grafting and multiple surgical procedures.

What is teeth in one day?

“Teeth in a day” refers to a treatment to replace all your teeth with dental implants. This is reserved for patients with no teeth or terminal dentition (remaining teeth are hopeless and failing). All necessary surgeries are performed in one procedure and a temporary denture is placed on the implants immediately afterwards. You go home with teeth in your mouth. We perform teeth in a day in our practice and you can schedule a consultation to find out more details.